fun with history

In defending his decision to shoot the four-hour Spanish-language epic Medellin Che, Stephen Soderbergh  says: "I came to him as a sort of agnostic. I’m not from South America. I don’t want to build him up or tear him down. I’m just compelled by the fact that he twice gave up everything and put his ass on the line for someone else’s benefit." (Potter’s italics)

What a great way of rationalizing history. Let’s make a game of it: Which historical personages of some infamy can be excused on the basis that, from a certain point of view, they put their ass on the line for someone else’s benefit?